DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT’S FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT’S FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGETBudget Will Advance DHS Priorities

WASHINGTON— Today, President Donald J. Trump delivered his Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget to Congress. The FY 2019 Budget reflects the administration’s priorities, including ensuring the safety and security of the American people. The budget requests $47.5 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a $3.5 billion or 7.8 percent increase from the FY 2018 President’s Budget.

The President’s budget invests in securing our physical and maritime borders, enforcing our immigration laws, and advancing cybersecurity and aviation security to safeguard Americans from those who seek to do us harm.

The budget demonstrates the Department’s commitment to strengthening our border security and our enforcement of immigration laws. In FY 2019, DHS proposes $1.6 billion to support the construction of 65 miles of new border wall system, as well as an additional $164 million to support efforts to hire 750 new Border Patrol Agents and 153 support personnel. To enhance national security, public safety, and ensure faithful execution of immigration laws, the budget provides $5.1 billion for enforcement and removal operations and includes $571 million for an additional 2,000 ICE law enforcement officers and 1,312 support personnel. Funding also supports continued expansion of the E-Verify program. To secure our maritime borders and approaches, the budget invests $1.9 billion in the recapitalization of U.S. Coast Guard assets.

Recent events have magnified the importance of cybersecurity as a national priority. DHS is leading the way to safeguard the federal government’s civilian information technology systems against cybersecurity risks, and sharing cybersecurity information with state, local, and tribal governments, as well as international partners and the private sector. The FY 2019 Budget provides nearly $1 billion for initiatives that protect federal networks and address cyber system vulnerabilities as well as $319 million for critical infrastructure protection.